Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-11-25
As.h Eak.k. ik.ES EOnS,
mn.


(The Christian Uoion.)
The fall elections last week afford
abundant material for study by those
who take an intelligent interest in poll.
tics. 1t is obvious, as the newspaper
discussions have abundantly shown, that
the public mind in this country is great.
ly confused and perpIexed respecting
the various political issues which are
now being PRESENT., aud that some-
time must claspe before ,,e can expect
the reappearance Of two parties divided
on one or two great questions upon
which voters can forh. drliberatu and
decisive Judgment. Oua singular fea-
ture of the election last week is the fact
that the results were in many iustan es
dissociatcd from the issues which wur
urged. In Ohio, for instance, which
was. carried by heavy Republican ma
jorty, Governor Foraker con
Quoted the campaign on the old
fashioned war basis; he attacked the
defunct Southern Confedercy with the
greatest energy, aud waved the bloody
shirt with persistence which has not
been seen for many year; and yet we
do not believe for an instant that men so
Intelligent as the Republican voters of
Ohio are still engaged in subduing the
Rebellion. We have too much respect
for the brains of Ohio to believe that IT
is twenty years behind the rest of The
country IN its political thinking. We
interpret the result not so much as in
dorsement of Governor Foraker's meth
DDS, but as stinging rebuke of Demo-
cratic corruption and mismanaGem ent.
The frauds of two years ago have not
been forgotten and it is significant that
several Senators who were involved in
those transactions have been beaten in
Democratic districts.
In this State Mr. Evarts made n tariff
issue prominent, and gave the keynote
to quite vigorous Republican campaign
in the country districts, and the State
went Democratic by about 10000 ma
jority. We do not interpret this, how
ever, as n decisive vote on the tariff
issue; much as was said about it by Re
publican speakers, it had very little to
do with the campaign, and the result is no
Significance rs test of New York SEN
timent on the tariff question, however
strongly tempted revenue reformers
may be to draw comfort from il NIr.
Low, whose 0hrewd political Judgment
is as unquestiOned as his natural instinct
to see things for himself has put the
situation i'll New York in u nutshell in
these words:
al have no doubt in my own mind
that the party will continue to
lose the State of New York unless
it leaYes behind it the war, war issues,
and war cries, takes clear and right
ground upon the question of the day,
and chooses as its s,andard-bearers men
who have not been vitally connected
with the old fights, and who mean, az
grc'sicey in Meu' orn persons, the platform
| upon whici hey stand. In this way and in
| tins way only, l think New York may
be found to he a. Republican State In
! 1888"
II is n great misfortune that men like
MIR. Low reserve this kind of comment
until after elections instead of putting
| it strongly as possible before elections.
| 1t is just here that the independent Re.
publican differs from the regular Re.
| publican. The independent makes his
| criticism before the election, and the
regular Republican makes his artcrward,
when it is too late. There is a curious
paralysis within the Republican ranks
which makes it apparently impossible
to get real impression of the senti-
ments of Redublican voters. The great
| majority OF these, we are confident, be-
lieve in homes, dealing with living ques-
tions, and yet:they are continually al
lowing themselves as IN Ohio and in
this State, to be led either by men who
are shouting, Themselves hoarse with old
cries, or WHO are, like the machine man
ayers in this State, degrading great
party by resorting to political intrigues.